Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $739 in El Nido, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
Learn more

El Nido Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in El Nido

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in El Nido actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $739 in El Nido.

Dhaka $428
El Nido $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,148 in El Nido.

Dhaka $724
El Nido $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $1,557 in El Nido.

Dhaka $1,019
El Nido $1,557

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 42% less than in El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, El Nido 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$4.84 ₱305

-48.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$28.13 ₱1,771

-52.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$3.70 ₱233

34.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$2.25 ₱142

4.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ৳41.07

$1.17 ₱73.8

-71.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.32 ₱20.45

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.59 ₱100

-46.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.00 ₱63.1

-37.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$1.29 ₱81.4

-48.06%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$1.95 ₱123

-38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$5.33 ₱336

65.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$3.98 ₱250

-17.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$6.98 ₱439

-8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$2.25 ₱142

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$1.54 ₱97.1

-38.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$2.26 ₱142

4.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$1.16 ₱72.8

-44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$1.95 ₱123

-86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$2.01 ₱127

-75.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$0.92 ₱58.0

-67.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.53 ₱33.65

-43.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$3.35 ₱211

-5.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$0.24 ₱15.07

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$10.28 ₱648

124.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$0.85 ₱53.8

37.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$0.20 ₱12.47

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$1.72 ₱108

90.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$1.31 ₱82.3

-15.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

51.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

52.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$46.77 ৳5,779

$121 ₱7,638

-61.45%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.51 ৳557

$14.38 ₱906

-68.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$24.44 ₱1,539

-54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$34.90 ₱2,197

-52.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$3.99 ₱251

272.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$5.23 ₱329

-19.69%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$124 ₱7,818

-26.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$6,869 ₱432.4K

-62.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$33.86 ₱2,132

-50.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$18.81 ₱1,185

5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$66.9 ₱4,211

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$49.95 ₱3,145

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$269 ₱17.0K

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$177 ₱11.2K

-60.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$535 ₱33.7K

-19.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$358 ₱22.5K

-40.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$2,607 ₱164.1K

-38.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$900 ₱56.7K

-16.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$257 ₱16.2K

-4.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

6.79

57.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 41.4% $51

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

El Nido

$177 24% 150% $106

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 43.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 156% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 40.9% $22

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 52.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 82.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in Dhaka and $269 in El Nido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Nido pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $28.00 in El Nido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $174 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

00:56 12:56 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

50,494

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka El Nido 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
El Nido

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dhaka vs El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in El Nido. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $148 in Dhaka versus $269 in El Nido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $428 per month in Dhaka versus $739 in El Nido – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 124% less than in El Nido. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and El Nido are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in El Nido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.